Dance With Cinderella
by writingluverr82
Summary: 'I watch as Autumn dances to the music playing on the radio. I watch as she sways at the right time, and spins on call.'


**A/N: Short and sweet about Percy and Annabeth's daughter. It's more Percy and his daughter than anything. It's based on the song Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman. It's such an incredible and sad song. But I just adore it! Sorry it's a little short. R&R**

**5 Years Old**

I watch as Autumn dances to the music playing on the radio. I watch as she sways at the right time, and spins on call.

"Daddy," Autumn looked at me. "Come here! Dance with me." She holds her hands out for me to take. I get up from the couch and walk to her. I bow as a prince would and hold my hand out. She takes it smiling. I pull her into my arms and I take her hands and we sway back and forth. She nestles her head in my neck. I feel the vibrations from her humming to the music. Her tiny legs wrapped around my waist and her small hands in mine.

"Hey daddy? You remember that story about the girl with the lost shoe?" She mumbled against my neck.

"You mean Cinderella?" I ask. She looks at me and rubs my head, her soft touch making me forget about every worry in the world.

"That's it," She points a finger at me and smiles. She lays her head back in my neck-we dance. "I want to be just like her. I want to live in a castle and I want to marry a prince and then at midnight we'll ride in a pumpkin!" I laugh at her enthusiasm. "You're helping me practice for the ball tonight."

"A ball?" I question. "Now how come I wasn't invited?" She giggles and pats my back.

"Because you have your own ball with mommy. This one is with my price charming." I chuckle.

"Okay, well you have to promise me one thing." She looks at me once more, this time her grey eyes are big with wonder.

"What?" She whispers. Playing her game, I look around to make sure no one is listening. She, too, looks.

"You have to promise me, no matter what. That I'll always be your favorite person to dance with. Pinky swear." I held out my pinky and she giggled. She placed her pinky next to mine.

"I pinky swear," She laughs. She places her head back on my shoulder, the song changes and we continue to dance the night away.

**16 Years Old**

"You know Autumn's going to prom next week," Annabeth says not taking her eyes off of her computer.

"Yeah I know, what happened to our baby?" I ask.

"She grew up. That's the worst three words I have ever heard in my life." She laughed. I heard something fall from Autumn's bedroom. She laughed, so I assumed everything was alright. My baby had grown up, she was going to prom next week. I remembered the five year old little girl who I held in my arms day after day dancing with her. I guess she grew up.

"Dad," Autumn emerged from her room dressed in a white sequined dress, with a pair of white heels. "This is the dress I'm going to wear next week. What do you think?" I looked at her up and down. She looked so beautiful, a spitting image of Annabeth. She looked like Annabeth's twin-her blonde curly hair went past her shoulders and her stunning grey eyes were highlighted with blue eyeshadow.

"You look incredible, Autumn." I whispered.

"I was wondering. . ." Her voice trailed off. "C-Could you help me practice dancing?" I smiled.

"You know you were quite an incredible dancer when you were younger," I took her hand and waist. "Let's see if you still have it in you." We swayed back and forth-just like when she was five. Only this time she could stand herself. I broke the silence, "So what's so great about this Steven guy? Is he really that incredible that you said yes to him?" She laughed, her cheeks turning red.

"He's incredible," She nodded. "He's sweet, kind, patient, loving, caring, comforting, he's just so incredible. He's just like you." She smiled. "You know I still remember the promise we made to each other when I was five." She paused allowing me to remember the day. I could remember every detail, every word that was said that day. "You told me that you wanted me to promise that you'll always be my favorite person to dance with. You know I'm keeping that promise." She smiled softly. I laughed and kissed her forehead. I loved her more than anything, her and Annabeth were my life. I live for them every day. I sighed.

"Don't you remember what else you said that day?" She looked at me confused. "You told me you wanted to be Cinderella," Her face softened and turned into a smile. "In that dress, you've definitely accomplished that goal." She laughed and looked down at the dress. "I also accomplished a goal myself."

"And what is that?" She asked.

"I told myself that day, that I would dance with Cinderella no matter what I was doing. It didn't matter. While I had my Cinderella in my arms everything would turn out okay." She kissed my cheek and hugged me tight. Keeping her head nestled in my neck.

"And I promised myself that you would always be my prince." She whispered.

**24 Years Old**

She came home today with a ring on her left hand on her left finger. She described her plans to us, wanting Annabeth to design everything. She was glowing with excitement. My Cinderella was grown up, I couldn't do anything to stop her. I knew she made the right choice with Steven, but it didn't make the pain go away from my heart.

Autumn allowed Annabeth to gather her designs together to show Autumn her ideas. Autumn walked from the kitchen table to where I was sitting on the couch.

"Hey daddy?" She said.

"Yeah, baby." I looked at her, she was smiling and her hand was held out.

"I know the wedding is six months away, but I need to practice." I took her hand, smiling, and led her to the middle of the living room. She placed her head on my shoulder and danced.

"You know, Cinderella. The clock strikes midnight all too fast. You got old too fast. Just like in the story, the Prince lost Cinderella when the clock struck midnight. Well now I'm losing my Cinderella when the bells of the church ding." I felt Autumn wipe a tear from her cheek. I placed my chin on the top of her head and continued, "So I will dance with my Cinderella while she's here with me in my arms at this very moment. When I dance with Cinderella I don't want to miss one song," I chuckled softly. "Because once those church bells go off she'll be. . .gone." My voice trailed off. Realizing that the little girl I was holding in my arms was now wearing a white dress. Those six months had gone by all too fast. I had said the same thing to her when we first practiced her dance with her new husband. It had felt like we continued to dance throughout the six months and in my mind we did. Only this time it was real and I had to give her away. My little Cinderella was gone.

**A/N: What do you think? I just love this one. If you didn't get the part where Percy is talking to Autumn about dancing with Cinderella toward the end, it's like a time change. At first he's dancing with her in their living room, then he realizes that he's dancing with her at her wedding. Make sense? Like those time changes in movies. If it still doesn't I can try to explain it better in a PM. Anyways, R&R. Also, don't ask for me to make more chapters, I won't, I meant for this to be a one-shot. x) **


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